Like Ripples In a Pond

One of the hardest parts about parenting is making decisions about what to expose your children to. I've known parents that have gone to extreme measures to inhibit the introduction of "worldly" influences on their children. As most of us know, this is never a good plan. These are the kids that head off to college and next thing you know it's like that reality show "Rumspringa". Next thing you know they are featured on the latest "Co-eds Gone Wild".


On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have those parents who don't believe in inhibiting their childrens' creativity. They have a "free-love" style of parenting and let their children determine their own limits. As well you can imagine, this is not the best tack either, for equal and opposite reasons. 



So then, how do you know where to set the boundaries? Are they the same for every child or is it fair and reasonable to adjust them according to the child's personality? The age old dilemma. "But you let Tommy do it when he was only (insert unreasonable age for complaining child.) Each child matures differently. Each child has a different set of reasoning and rationalizing skills. Each child has a different perception of right and wrong. The best way is to never have hard and fast rules about age-related permissions and instead have open discussions with your children and be certain that they understand the responsibilities afforded to each privilege. 


So what does this have to do with ripples, you ask? I'm currently trying to work against the grain here. There have been so many others before me that sometimes it's a matter of trying to create a work-around to still get the same results as when you start from scratch. When you consider the extent of someone's influence on a child, the image of the ripple in a pond is brought to mind. You may start with such a small action, but over time it can have a far-reaching effect on the environment. It is the same with kids. If you play favorites with one child, it can create an environment that causes backlash throughout the whole family. As a parent you have to be mindful of this as you say and do everything. 


So, this is no easy task even for the most reasonable and laid-back parent. What made me think it would be so different parenting 35 children and young adults? The constant struggle to be fair, while still addressing each of these youngsters based on their individual personalities is challenging on even the simplest levels. Add to it the cultural differences and the societal differences of living in a technologically equal but economically third-world country and it all equates to me needing a few Prestige to settle me in my bed at night. 


Funny thing about the local beer, Prestige, it has a higher alcohol content than domestics. After all those Tuesdays at the [URL="www.dragonmead.com"]Mead[/URL]  you would think my liver had been properly primed to handle this. The first one goes down like any tasteless domestic yellow beer. The second one, though! Whew! About half way thru I am like, stop the bus! I've got about 15 minutes to get horizontal or I'm going to sleep standing up! Yeah, it's like that! 

Ah, well. Nobody said this experience was going to be easy. They only promised it would be worth it!


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(okay, so I SUCK at HTML - I'm following all the steps I know and still can't seem to make a hyperlink work, ugh!)